Luciano Manara
Encyclopedia
Luciano Manara was an Italian soldier and politician of the Risorgimento era, who took part in the Roman Republic
.
.
A friend of Carlo Cattaneo, he participated in the Five Days of Milan
(leading, among others, the operation that led to the capture of Porta Tosa) and in the First Italian War of Independence
with a group of volunteers he had organised himself. On the Austrians' return, he fled to Piedmont
, where he was put at the head of a corps of bersaglieri
, with whom he fought on the Po and at La Cava (now renamed Cava Manara
after him).
Fighting in defence of the Roman Republic
and as Garibaldi's chief of staff
, he died aged only 24 at the battle at Villa Spada on 30 June. His funeral was held at the church of San Lorenzo in Lucina
, with the homily spoken by Don Ugo Bassi
. For a short time his body remained in Rome, since his mother was unable to gain permission from the Austrian
authorities in Vienna
to have it taken to Milan
. With the remains of Emilio Morosini
and Enrico Dandolo
(the latter having been killed at Villa Corsini), it was eventually brought to Vezia
(Lugano), where it was temporarily laid to rest in the family vault of the Morosini
. At Manara's mother's continued prayers and supplications, in 1853 the Austrian emperor Franz Joseph
granted permission for the body to be taken to Barzanò
(where the Manara family had a villa), so long as its progress and reburial there was "strictly private". Only on Italy's unification in 1864 was the Manara family allowed to erect their family monument, in grey and white stone in the Romantic
style, with a bas-relief portrayal of him beside a weeping veiled female figure (representing his mother or the Motherland). The inscription on his monument reads:
The monument is surrounded by a small park of cypress trees, with a chapel along whose two sides are ten white marble tombstones of equal size commemorating Luciano's sisters, Virginia in Manati and Deidamia, his wife Carmelita Fè and his three sons.
Roman Republic (19th century)
The Roman Republic was a state declared on February 9, 1849, when the government of Papal States was temporarily substituted by a republican government due to Pope Pius IX's flight to Gaeta. The republic was led by Carlo Armellini, Giuseppe Mazzini and Aurelio Saffi...
.
Life
Manara was born in MilanMilan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
.
A friend of Carlo Cattaneo, he participated in the Five Days of Milan
Five Days of Milan
The Five Days of Milan was a major event in the Revolutionary Year of 1848 and the start of the First Italian War of Independence. On March 18th, the city of Milan, rose, and in five days of street fighting drove Marshal Radetzky and his men from the city....
(leading, among others, the operation that led to the capture of Porta Tosa) and in the First Italian War of Independence
First Italian War of Independence
The First Italian War of Independence was fought in 1848 between the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Austrian Empire. The war saw main battles at Custoza and Novara in which the Austrians under Radetzky managed to defeat the Piedmontese....
with a group of volunteers he had organised himself. On the Austrians' return, he fled to Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
, where he was put at the head of a corps of bersaglieri
Bersaglieri
The Bersaglieri are a corps of the Italian Army originally created by General Alessandro La Marmora on 18 June 1836 to serve in the Piedmontese Army, later to become the Royal Italian Army...
, with whom he fought on the Po and at La Cava (now renamed Cava Manara
Cava Manara
Cava Manara is a comune in the province of Pavia in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 35 km south of Milan and about 7 km southwest of Pavia, not far from the confluence of the Ticino and the Po rivers....
after him).
Fighting in defence of the Roman Republic
Roman Republic (19th century)
The Roman Republic was a state declared on February 9, 1849, when the government of Papal States was temporarily substituted by a republican government due to Pope Pius IX's flight to Gaeta. The republic was led by Carlo Armellini, Giuseppe Mazzini and Aurelio Saffi...
and as Garibaldi's chief of staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
, he died aged only 24 at the battle at Villa Spada on 30 June. His funeral was held at the church of San Lorenzo in Lucina
San Lorenzo in Lucina
The Church of St Lawrence's at Lucina is a Roman Catholic parish and titular church and minor basilica in Rome, Italy, dedicated to Saint Lawrence, Roman deacon and martyr. The name Lucina comes from the Roman matron owner of the house on which the church was built.The current Cardinal Priest of...
, with the homily spoken by Don Ugo Bassi
Ugo Bassi
Ugo Bassi was a Roman Catholic priest and Italian nationalist.-Biography:Bassi was born at Cento, Emilia-Romagna, and received his early education at Bologna....
. For a short time his body remained in Rome, since his mother was unable to gain permission from the Austrian
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
authorities in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
to have it taken to Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
. With the remains of Emilio Morosini
Emilio Morosini
Emilio Morosini was an Italian patriot who participated in the Risorgimento.Morosini was born in Varese.Educated in Fava and studying at the Gymnasium in Brera and the liceo at Porta Nuova, he became friends with Enrico Dandolo and Luciano Manara and fought in the Five Days of Milan in 1848. In...
and Enrico Dandolo
Enrico Dandolo (patriot)
Enrico Dandolo was an important figure in the Italian Risorgimento, participating in several of its most important battles.-Life:...
(the latter having been killed at Villa Corsini), it was eventually brought to Vezia
Vezia
Vezia is a municipality in the district of Lugano in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-Geography:Vezia has an area, , of . Of this area, or 48.9% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 28.1% is forested...
(Lugano), where it was temporarily laid to rest in the family vault of the Morosini
Morosini
The Morosini were a noble Venetian family, probably of Romanian extraction, that gave many doges, statesmen, generals and admirals to the Venetian Republic, and cardinals to the Church. The origin of the name seems to be connected with the toponym Urbs Morisena, i.e. The City on Moris , and the...
. At Manara's mother's continued prayers and supplications, in 1853 the Austrian emperor Franz Joseph
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...
granted permission for the body to be taken to Barzanò
Barzanò
Barzanò is a comune in the Province of Lecco in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 30 km northeast of Milan and about 14 km southwest of Lecco....
(where the Manara family had a villa), so long as its progress and reburial there was "strictly private". Only on Italy's unification in 1864 was the Manara family allowed to erect their family monument, in grey and white stone in the Romantic
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
style, with a bas-relief portrayal of him beside a weeping veiled female figure (representing his mother or the Motherland). The inscription on his monument reads:
The monument is surrounded by a small park of cypress trees, with a chapel along whose two sides are ten white marble tombstones of equal size commemorating Luciano's sisters, Virginia in Manati and Deidamia, his wife Carmelita Fè and his three sons.
External links
- Inscription at Milan
- Inscription at Antegnate.
- http://www.comune.barzano.lc.it/index.html